Review: Ballast Point Old Grove Gin and Barrel Rested Gin

Ballast Point is a beer and spirits producer in San Diego, where the company churns out a dazzling array of products. Old Grove Gin is made with juniper, rose petals, coriander, and a total of nine other (unspecified) botanicals. Available in a straight and barrel-aged version, we tasted both. Thoughts follow.

Ballast Point Old Grove California Small Batch Gin – Pretty and elegant on the nose, this gin features a heavily floral but balanced nose that offers instant intrigue. The body is very light, gentle, and a touch sweet. Flowery at first, it segues into notes of butterscotch, honeycomb, and vanilla, before eventually — finally — just hinting at juniper. The finish is warming and a little astringent, like a good vodka. I’d say this is more of a vodka drinker’s gin, and it mixes quite well in tall drinks. A bit simplistic, but hard not to enjoy. 88 proof. B / $26

Ballast Point Old Grove Barrel Rested California Small Batch Gin – With this expression, Old Grove spends 50 days in charred oak barrels before bottling. The interesting nose recalls aquavit, a sweet mix of vanilla and caraway seeds. The body takes the aforementioned notes in the unaged gin and punches them up with touches of salted caramel, a little licorice, and some dusty wood character. The finish brings out more of a dark chocolate character, with evergreen notes in the distant background. As with the straight gin, this really doesn’t drink much like a gin at all, instead coming across more like a lightly aged whiskey. Is that a good thing or a bad? You decide — just don’t try making a martini out of it. 88 proof. B+ / $35